


Facing the Music

by ReadWithDetermination



Series: When Two Tsunderes Go on A Date, Does the Void Implode? [5]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Awkward Crush, Awkward Romance, BAMF Nurse, Comedy, Comedy of Errors, F/M, Fellswap Papyrus - Freeform, Funny, Getting Together, Humor, Love Confessions, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Nameless Nurse Roommate, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Nurse Is Losing Their Patience, Panicking, Papyrus is a Good Brother, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Reader is dense, Romantic Comedy, Sans Is Dense, Tsundere Reader, Tsundere Sans (Undertale), Tsunderes, Undertale Monsters on the Surface, awkward confessions, fellswap, fellswap sans - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21782296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReadWithDetermination/pseuds/ReadWithDetermination
Summary: Direct sequel to "To My Date, With Hate, Love Sans" (read that or you won't understand this one).(FellSwap/Swapfell Red Sans Surface AU)You and Sans may have finally kissed, but now, a partial misunderstanding has sent you both into panic.  Since your roommate is tired of watching you both dance around one another, it's time to take action!  The gloves are off in this one!  Will Sans be able to fix this misunderstanding, or does Papyrus have to lock you two in a closet after all?
Relationships: Papyrus & Original Undertale Character(s), Sans/Reader
Series: When Two Tsunderes Go on A Date, Does the Void Implode? [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558828
Comments: 47
Kudos: 134





	1. CHAPTER ONE:  "Fix it, Sans!"

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HistoricallyDragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HistoricallyDragon/gifts).



> Had to break this oneshot down into parts.  
> POV switches between character but is easily broken down so you can read it.
> 
> Gifted to HistoricallyDragon for all their interaction with the last story!

" _Hell~o, Nurse!_ "

You vaguely heard the voice of Papyrus crackle out from your roommate's cell phone from your place on the floor. It was a nice place, against the cool wooden planks beneath you and the silky wallpaper behind you. Yes, this was where you lived now, because after what had just happened, you're pretty sure you're never going to move from that spot. If you did, you'd have to go outside, and if you went outside, you'd most certainly let your panic take over and start sprinting as fast as you could into the next state. Maybe even keep going after that. You're not sure what you'd do once you hit the ocean, but you'd figure something out once you got there.

Because you are definitely sure that if you ever managed to leave the house again without bolting like your feet were about to catch fire, you'd have to face Sans. And you're not sure your poor heart could take that right now.

The embarrassment collided with the rising panic - and perhaps more than a bit of celebratory giddiness wanting its share of the limelight - inside of you, coming out in a high-pitched, keening noise not unakin to the sound of a deflating balloon. You clamped one hand over your mouth to stem the noise, the other hand shoving your hair out of your eyes and stopping partway as your emotional meltdown overwhelmed you.

"Papyrus, help," you heard your roommate deadpan, "they're on the floor and not coming up for air. I think the kiss broke them."

—————————————————

"What do you mean, 'broke them'?" Papyrus asked. He hadn't expected the sheer annoyance in his friend's voice. "...Is that a dying chipmunk in the background?"

" _That would be my roommate_ ," the nurse announced. " _They've been on the ground for about five minutes now and - no, let go of the coffee table! Get up!_ "

There was the sound of a table being scooted and loud, whiny noises of protest in the background. He wasn't able to catch all of the words, but he did catch something about running across the top of the ocean? There was no way he was going to be able to make out much of anything so long as the car horn was still going off. He turned around to where his brother still sat, face firmly planted on the center of the steering wheel.

"Sans, get up," he said, grabbing the smaller skeleton by the back of his collar and yanking back into a sitting position. The blissful silence that followed almost made the glare his elderly neighbors were giving him across their fence a little easier to deal with. He waved an apology as he tried hard to listen to what was going on over the other end of the phone.

He caught the threat of mailing a certain rubber duck to his brother before the nurse's voice came close to the receiver again. " _Papyrus, I'm calling it. Enough is enough._ "

Papyrus hadn't heard that tone out of the nurse very often. The last time had been back when he was in rehab and one of the patients there had started mocking the others in group chat, going so far as to reduce one of the others to tears. The nurse had been on-call at the time, and boy, was he surprised that someone who was normally so sweet and cheerful was able to sound like that. Papyrus had put the jerk on the floor with his magic the moment he tried taking a swing at the therapist, and not two seconds later, the nurse was on him with a needle full of a tranquilizer. Undyne, who had been there as his support that day, had been incredibly impressed and started asking the nurse for pointers (a prospect conducive to nightmares).

But "calling it"? Yeah, that meant that all bets were off and all of the plans to wake the two up with hints were dead.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"I've got this," Papyrus told them. He lowered the phone and looked over at Sans, who had his arm flung over his eye sockets like he couldn't bear to face the world right now. "Brother? Get up! This is no time to sulk!"

"The Malevolent Sans-"

"'-Does not sulk'. Yeah, yeah, I got it." 

Sans moved his arm a little, letting Papyrus see the magic of the red eyelight underneath starting to flare up. Once upon a time, that look might have quelled him, but Papyrus had grown enough after escaping the Underground that he wasn't about to let his big brother bully him again. Especially when it meant he would have to keep watching the skeleton and his not-so-secret love dance around one another. It had been funny for a while, but the nurse was right - it was time to end this little charade once and for all.

"Don't give me that look, Brother," Papyrus chided him, "not after what you did."

Sans groaned and turned his head away. "Don't rub it in, Papyrus."

"As amusing as it is to see you get so flustered over flubbing up your date like this, you're going to take responsibility for what you did. I just found out from the nurse that you really upset your 'datemate' by just kissing and leaving them like that."

Instantly, Sans sat up and turned smartly back to Papyrus, his expression uncharacteristically vulnerable. "What?" Papyrus gave him a look of Pure Brotherly Disappointment before waggling the phone for emphasis. The nurse's voice called out from the speakers, as did the indistinct noises of someone losing their mind in the most childish way possible. Sans wasted not a moment in swiping the phone from Papyrus' thin fingers.

"Is this-?" Sans started. "Yes, this is Sans. What happened-"

Oh, stars, what Papyrus would have given to have had a camera on him right then! Sans' face when he was being thoroughly chided by the nurse morphed from shock to anger to the sheepish look of shame Papyrus had ever seen all in the span of fifteen seconds. All the while, the nurse's voice, now having taken on a tone somewhere between irate medical professional and a deeply disappointed parent, crackled through the speakers. 

" _...you hear me, Sans? You come over here right now and fix this! Now, hand me back to Papyrus._ "

Almost robotically, Sans gingerly extended the phone toward Papyrus, looking at the piece of communication technology as if it had emphatically suggested he do improper things with one of his bone attacks (seeing as how his nurse friend could become a raging volcano on the rare instances they were mad, Papyrus reasoned there was a good chance they did just that). Papyrus held the phone back up to the side of his head. He noted the freakout noises had finally tapered off.

"It's me again."

" _They won't let go of the table, Papyrus. I already knocked the flower pot off in the process. Poor Cactus Joe will never be the same again._ "

There was a slightly distant wail of protest over whose fault it was that said cactus lost an arm, as well as lamentations to the overturned pot - both signalling that the nurse had likely moved into another room for part of the conversation. 

Meaning their friend had no idea they were planning to get Sans to do an about-face and head right back to their house.

Between that and his brother's face, it was all Papyrus could do to hold it together. He vaguely wondered if a monster could spontaneously dust from holding in laughter until they exploded.

" _...Papyrus, my roommate is on the floor, attempting to cuddle a cactus. I NEED your help. Please. Before they start getting their mail delivered to Dead Cactus Lane here._ "

———————————————————

As Papyrus finished up the phone call, all Sans could do was stare blankly out the windshield.

He hadn't meant to upset you. Truly, he would have done everything in his power to make sure you didn't get hurt. The whole idea of the challenge had just been another way for Sans to spend time with you, just like any of the other numerous contests he threw at you! While he internally lamented that it hadn't been a real date, he now cringed knowing that might be the closest thing to a real date with you that he would get.

That is, if the nurse didn't make good on their threat to thread a line through his eye sockets and use him for dogfish bait first. Were dogfish even a real fish?

He shook his head and sighed. It had been a dare. He'd practically been goaded into the kiss! For all of his own fantasies, he'd never imagined he'd flub it up so badly. Not that he hadn't enjoyed the kiss - he very much had. He especially loved the bewildered, almost awed look in your eyes. That look sent a shock right through his very soul. A very, _very_ good shock.

But then he panicked and retreated like a coward.

How was he ever going to face you now? 

Sans didn't usually allow his past to hold him back, but the very thought of weighing his sins against his worthiness of your heart struck him cold. He'd been a bully to his brother. Stole, fought, and killed to survive. He didn't have the highest LV of any monsters he knew (thankfully, his strength and skill allowed him the ability to subdue attackers without having to resort to lethal force as much as many believed), but he still had dust on his hands.

On top of that, he was, well, a monster. Sure, there had been plenty of monster-human couples form up as monsters migrated away from the mountain, but would you really be willing to be among them? There were still factions from both sides that feared the other, thinking it was traitorous at worst and disgusting at best to intermingle that way. What if you were affected by that?

What if...what if you just wanted to be friends?

Sans grimaced, gripping the steering wheel tightly. He knew this day would come. He'd been slipping in keeping his feelings a secret to the point it seemed everyone and their brother knew about his feelings...except you. Or maybe you had known and just didn't want to hurt his feelings?

None of it mattered anymore.

The safety bubble he had of being able to dance around his feelings had finally popped, and he now had to fix the fallout (if that was even possible).

He had _upset_ you. He had _hurt_ you.

It would be a grave blemish on both his honor and his soul if he hid away and allowed you to suffer a moment more.

He threw open the car door and stepped out.

Papyrus called to him. "Sans? Brother! Where are you going?"

"Where else?" Sans called back as he began his march. "Back to their house to fix this mess!"

"But the car-"

Sans whirled around on Papyrus, continuing to walk backwards so he didn't lose momentum. "Do you really think I should be driving right now?" 

He may have gone through the extra courses for emergency driving training, but Sans wasn't certain that he was going to be able to keep a clear head behind the wheel right now. Besides, forcing his own feet to move forward felt more natural, a practiced movement he did every day during patrols in the Underground. It made him feel like he was on a mission.

And, maybe, the walk would give him a chance to think of what to say to you.

——————————————————

"Fair enough," Papyrus said, watching his brother turn and continue his adamant stomping toward his destination. He couldn't help the wild grin that broke out on his face as he knew his and the nurse's plans were finally, FINALLY going to come to fruition. Snagging the keys from the ignition (his brother never locked his keys up, so Papyrus knew Sans' mind really was somewhere else), he hoped out of the car and locked it up.

A gruff clearing of a throat behind him made him turn and look at his elderly neighbors. The old human male looked entirely too fed up, but the human female was a bit sweeter about it. "Is everything alright?" she asked him.

"It had better be alright if he and his brother thought waking up the neighborhood-"

The old woman swatted her husband lightly on the shoulder. "Hush, dear! You know it's the middle of the afternoon. No one is sleeping right now."

"I was," the old man grumbled.

"That is because you're you, dear," she tutted, her swat now a loving gentle tap on the arm he had linked with hers. Papyrus couldn't help but chuckle. The sour look on the old man's face and the playful teasing of the woman reminded him far too much of his brother and you. It was as if he was getting a glance into the future.

The old man didn't seem to find his laughter funny, however. "Kids these days, laughing at their elders! Human or monster, it doesn't matter. This generation just has no respect..." 

Another light swat forced his rant to devolve into cranky grumbles.

"Forgive my husband," she said, "now, would you mind telling me what the commotion was about? Did you and your brother have a fight?"

Papyrus grinned and shook his head. "No, not us," he assured her.

"Then, did he and that young one finally...?"

Papyrus couldn't help but laugh. Even his dottering, half-blind old neighbor lady could see how over the moon Sans and you were with one another. He nodded.

Thankfully, this actually got a smile out of both of them - or at least, eased the frown of the old man. Even the crotchety ol' timer seemed to have a soft spot, if the furtive glance up at his aged bride was anything to go by. 

"Good for him," the old woman said, "I do hope they work things out."

"Yes, and in a much quieter fashion than earlier," the old man added, giving Papyrus a halfhearted stink eye before cupping his hand over the tiny wrinkled fingers on his arm.

Papyrus threw up an arm, waving goodbye as he hurried to catch up with his brother.

He wasn't about to miss this.


	2. CHAPTER TWO:  "In Which Your Skull Proves As Thick as Sans'"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your roommate tries to talk some sense into you.  
> You prove to be very hardheaded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if there are any spelling mistakes, as I was so eager to get this out before I had to go to work!  
> I hope you all enjoy!

CHAPTER TWO: "In Which Your Skull Proves As Thick as Sans'"  
\--------------------------------

This was all your roommate's fault.

You looked down at the damaged cactus and the little decorative pebbles of its overturned pot that lay scattered about the floor. Alright, so _maybe_ some of the fault lay with you. It was a little childish to grab onto the table like that, but you really just panicked when you found out they were calling Papyrus. 

Papyrus, who was probably still sitting next to the monster you had just kissed.

The very mention of said "kiss" by your roommate set off another wave of panic, spurring you to action. All you had to do was take one glimpse at your roommate to know their fed-up expression. Maybe the whining had overdone it. They were a nurse, after all, and had to deal with people of all sorts - from addicts crying and making thinly veiled excuses to try to get pain medication to family members who only wanted fast results and blamed your roommate when lifestyle changes didn't happen overnight. 

Of course, you'd also had a bad habit of asking them for advice over the situation with Sans and then completely disregard it. 

They'd been very patient with you for a while, indulging in your plan to mull things over to figure out exactly what your feelings were. You had a tendency to vent, though, but the idea of confessing was so overwhelming that it may you throw out all of the helpful suggestions your roommate gave you. You had, however, outright _refused_ their advice to move on so your feelings for Sans would dissipate. You liked having a crush, and you liked Sans. You liked having a crush _on_ Sans.

It was a complex dance you did around him, his presence making your heart swell and his challenges stoking your internal fire. Mired in your own feelings, you hadn't realized just how high you had built the damn until that one kiss punctured it and sent reality crashing down onto you in the form of one very annoyed nurse who was very tired of your little song and dance.

And, okay, maybe causing them to knock over Cactus Joe was actually what set them off. I mean, it was the one plant they were able to keep alive (you're not sure what that said for your roommate, seeing as how nurses were supposed to keep people alive, yet only that one cactus did not wither beneath their...well, you weren't sure what to call it, but pretty much any plant in their care inevitably dried up and died).

Whether it was having an actual casualty during what had been harmless fun, injuring the cactus, or maybe your having a reaction that was on par with a young schoolchild who still believed kisses cam with cooties, you didn't know. Whether it was one or none or a combination of all three and then some, your roommate was done with your shenanigans.

And they were calling in reinforcements.

"If you get spines in your face from cuddling that, I'm not removing them for you."

You looked up from your mourning Cactus Joe's now detached arm to see your roommate had stepped back into the room. They didn't look nearly as mad as when they had left. Had Papyrus managed to talk them down?

"Though, if you want to look like a porcupine for when Sans gets here, then be my guest."

Your eyes went wide. What did they mean, Sans was coming here?! He just left! 

"And I called Papyrus and told Sans he needed to get back over here," your roommate replied. "As fun as it has been to watch you lose your mind on a daily basis, enough is enough."

You opened your mouth to protest, to tell them that they shouldn't have shoved you into a corner like this, that you weren't ready-

Your roommate firmly called your name and glared at you.

"You," they started, speaking each word slowly, as if speaking to a child, "literally just went on a date with Sans. A date he asked you on."

You reminded them it was just a challenge.

"He brought you _flowers_."

Sans had set off your hay fever.

"The only time he took his eyes off you was to drive and when you gave him whatever horrible concoction you put in those chocolates."

Sans probably just wanted to make sure you didn't cheat.

"You weren't playing poker, you big dummy!" they chided you. "And what about out there, hmm?" Your roommate nodded toward the door. "You wanna tell me what that was?" 

Well, wasn't it obvious? Sans was just caught up in the challenge. After all, the Great and Malevolent Sans put his heart and soul into everything he did, and he did everything in his power to win against you during your contests. That kiss had been...well, just his taking on another dare. That was all. 

It just happened to short-circuit your brain, was all.

The nurse out a groan. "I don't believe this," they said, throwing their arms up in gesticulation of surrender and looking aimlessly around the room, as if searching in vain for something. Your roommate shook their head and let out a sigh before finally walking over and crouching in front of you. Gingerly, they plucked the remnants of broken cactus from your hands and set them aside before turning on you with a weary expression. "Hon, tell me something: how many other people do you know who Sans challenges constantly?"

You thought for a moment before ticking off Chara, Papyrus, yourself, your roommate, and Alphys.

"Yes, but I'm not talking about once in a while," they added. "Who does Sans challenge almost every single time he sees them?"

Well, that was an easy question: you!

They nodded. "Good, you're with me so far." 

You quirked an eyebrow at them, not sure what they meant, but they asked you to save your questions until they had finished theirs. 

"Now, how many people - monsters or humans - do you know that Sans would kiss simply on a dare?"

While the thought of the fantasized object of your affections smooching anyone else sent a cold twinge pain deep inside your chest, you had to admit you didn't know. However, you did tell your roommate that you wouldn't put it past Sans to do that to anyone if the stakes of a contest were high enough. They sighed and shook their head, claiming you just weren't getting it.

Finally, they looked you square in the eye and asked, "Just how many people do you think Sans kisses on a regular basis to make something like kissing someone just to win a silly challenge a normal occurrence?"

You shrugged.

Your roommate dropped from a crouch to kneeling and buried their face in their hands. They mumbled something but you were unable to hear all of it. Something about widgets? You're not sure what that had to do with anything, so you figured you likely misheard. They pulled their hands down slowly, allowing only their eyes to show, and exhaled a single, slow breath. With the way their hands were cupped over their face, the sound was deepened, reminding you a bit of a certain sci-fi villain.

Finally, they gave you a hard look in the eyes.

"What?" you asked them.

They reached out and clapped their hands on your shoulders. "I know lately it hasn't been your strong suit, but I need you to _think_ ," they told you. You took offense to that statement but they just shook you and told you to focus on what they were saying. "Listen to me! You like puzzles! I need you to put the pieces together like you would do if Sans challenged you to do it."

You asked them what puzzle they were talking about.

"Sans," they said slowly, "only challenges _you_ on a nearly daily basis. Constantly teases _you_. Incessantly riles you up to no end but not to the point it goes overboard, and if he does, tries to make it up to you. Are you with me so far?"

You nodded.

"Okay, now, put that together the fact that he doesn't go around kissing everyone - trust me, I'm friends with Papyrus, I would have heard about that - and the fact that I also know he hasn't bothered trying to date anyone since he came to the Surface, but instead spends most of his time hanging out with you."

They waited for you to nod again. After a brief pause, they continued.

"Alright, you know how Alphys fights differently when training her recruits when Undyne isn't watching?" You nodded again, remembering that she loved showing off around Undyne. "Okay, good. You remember when you went over to her house to watch her and Sans fight the first time?"

How could you forget? The memory of Sans summoning those enormous floating fanged skulls was burned into your brain. You had literally a moment to register his maniac laughter before Papyrus had grabbed you and shoved you to the ground, him and Undyne following, right before the world whited out and you heard a piercing whine followed by what sounded like a tornado touching down. When you looked up again, Alphys had flattened herself out onto the ground, arms over her head, and two lines had been cut diagonally into the trees over her head. Only, the trees hadn't snapped or been uprooted. No, they had been _vaporized_ , with nothing remaining but a few charred stumps and some car alarms going off in the distance. Seeing as how you could still see the trees at the far end of each marred path, you assumed whatever attack Sans used hadn't reached the communities on the other side, but the sheer earth-shaking power of it had.

And the smirk on Sans' face after had enough smug to outdo even the hoity-toitiest person you'd ever met.

"Yeah, well, apparently, that was the first time Alphys ever saw that Sans could do that," your roommate informed you, "and their other matches aren't nearly as destructive. What does that tell you?"

You shrugged and guessed that maybe Sans felt more comfortable showing some of his hidden moves now that they weren't Underground anymore.

...huh, guess everyone was taking a turn sounding like a deflating balloon today.

"Are you kidding me? For heaven's sake, the guy nearly had a meltdown when he found out you had the flu a few months ago!"

Wait, he had? You didn't know that.

"Why did you think the entire former Royal Family of the Underground showed up on your doorstep to personally heal you?! Sans thought you were going to die!"

Oh, yeah, you remembered Papyrus telling you that Sans had been very concerned because they only knew of the flu from old history textbooks that fell Underground and stories the older monsters had passed down. Monsters hardly ever got sick, so illness wasn't something Sans was used to seeing. Apparently, a few news reports had added to the paranoia and had Sans calling Asgore. But you thought that was just because he knew Asgore was a good healer? At least, that's what he kept telling you...

Your roommate rolled their eyes. "I figured as much," they gave your shoulders a slight squeeze. "Now, will you add up what I've been telling you? Say it with me now. Out loud."

And so, you did.

Sans liked to torment you.

Sans liked to challenge you.

Sans liked to flex how powerful and smart he was around you.

Sans had no idea most humans in your country didn't die of the flu anymore-

"Sans was _worried_ about you," they corrected.

Right.

You felt your face heat up as you, finally, verbally recalled your roommate saying Sans wasn't dating anyone or kissing any random person on the fly.

"Now...put them all together, and what does that tell you?"

You thought.

And you thought.

And you thought some more. Was there something you were missing? Some part of monster culture you didn't know? Was this more of a skeleton thing, or was there something about Sans' past you didn't see, or...?

Your thinking took a little too long, so your roommate started to coax you along with soft words. "Don't think about it too hard," they told you, trying to suppress a chuckle, "there's no need to psychoanalyze any of this. The answer's right in front of you."

You thought for a moment.

...Yeah, you were drawing a blank.

"Right-" 

Your roommate raised one finger.

"-In front of-" 

And swiftly bopped you on each of your still reddened cheeks.

"Your. Face!"

...oh.

...OH.

Wait, NO _FREAKING **WAY**_!

You felt the slow tingle rising on your neck and cheeks suddenly flare to broiling, and your whole face suddenly felt alight. Your roommate instantly noticed and let out a relived chuckle, shaking their head at your incredible hardheadedness. 

"I see it's finally sinking in now," they said, "and here I thought Lover Boy had a thick skull. You've honestly given him a run for his money."

The breath that had caught in your throat was released in a flurry of questions.

"Whoa, slow down!"

Why hadn't they told you? You'd been freaking for ages and had absolutely no idea! The heat in your face was now mixed with both embarrassment and frustration. They knew and, chances are, Papyrus knew and neither of them had told you! How long had Sans-?

Then it hit you.

_That date had been real!_

"Well," your roommate said, "I'm glad you figured it out and- hey! Where are you going?"

You darted over to the door, nearly yanking your arm out of socket as you tried to wrench open the locked door in your haste.

"I'm going to talk to-"

You pulled the door open.

A pair of red eyelights and a surprised expression met your eyes.

"- _...Sans?_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment away and make my day!


	3. CHAPTER THREE:  "In Which Papyrus and the Nurse Take Action Because You Two Won't"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sans and Reader spend so long trying to figure out how to respond to one another that it makes Papyrus and your roommate do something drastic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been listening the Mystery Skulls' "Freaking Out" for part of the day. It really fits here.

CHAPTER THREE: "In Which Papyrus and the Nurse Take Action Because You Two Won't"  
————————

Sans had literally spent the last ten minutes he spent stomping (and hopping a fence or two) back to your place trying to figure out exactly what he was going to say to you. The mini-Sans running around in his brain had managed to net a few of the many panicked words pinging off the interior of his skull and helped him form some half-decent ideas.

He could challenge them to another date. Yeah, best two out of three, right? More dates with you that way!

No, no...you'd probably shut the door in his face.

He could just apologize for upsetting you and play it off as getting caught up in the moment. You would probably believe that one.

But that wasn't quite true, either. It was hard to be caught up in the moment, unless that "moment" could stretch over a period of several months. That hadn't been his ideal way to first kiss you, but he by no means regretted it.

He should probably apologize for kissing you under very unromantic circumstances. He'd wanted so long for you to be his datemate, even challenged you to see who the better datemate was, and he most definitely fell short of the mark with that one. Not to mention he saluted you out of panic because he had absolutely no idea what to do with his hands after besides throwing them around you and bringing you into an embrace - which you likely would have appreciated as much as him darting off like he did.

Ugh, what a coward he had been! He should have at least done the honorable thing and stayed for your reaction. Even if you had gotten mad at him.

Of course, it was _you_ who had goaded _him_ into the kiss, so you did share some blame. It was not entirely his fault if he upset you when he just did as you challenged him to!

The more he thought, the more a little thought began to form in his mind: were you more upset that he kissed you, or because you ran off?

And exactly how upset were you?

Were you angry with him?

Disturbed?

Disgusted?

He sighed. The best thing he could do was apologize for leaving.

No, scratch that. 

The true best thing he should do, the thing his soul had screamed at him to do every time he came within five yards of you, was to tell you how he truly felt. Apologize for being dishonest by covering up his feelings for you, by sneaking physical contact from you in the form of necessary contact during his challenges. You deserved someone who could be truly open to you, lavish you with praise and affection, support you, fight against the world at your side! If he was any sort of monster, he would do just that. He just had to knock on the door-

Oh.

There you were.

The moment his name left your lips, however, all of the words he'd carefully constructed into his impending romantic declaration up and fluttered away, disappearing like bubbles popping in the breeze.

Thankfully, you didn't seem to have been crying. But your eyebrows were raised and your eyes themselves had gone wide, with an expression of shock leaving your lips parted ever so slightly in confusion.

He tried to form words - ANY words - but none would come.

All he could do was stare back into your eyes, taking in the delicate circles that made up the whole ocular orbs, with the neat layers of white sclera, black pupil, and colored iris. They were so much more intricate than his own magicked eyelights, red as two drops of blood in the hollows of his skull. He couldn't look away.

However long the two of you stood there, it was enough for Papyrus to catch up. It took Sans a moment to register the voice speaking to him, and only acknowledged it once a big bony hand passed in front of his face several times.

"Yoohoo, Brother? Earth to Sans? You there, Bro?"

Sans shook his head and, unwillingly, looked away from you for a moment to glare at his brother. Papyrus just smiled and looked to your roommate, who was now standing in the door behind you.

"Ah, we're all here!" said the nurse.

"Yeah," Papyrus said, "back for Round Two! Title Bout and all that."

"Yeah..." you said, looking as thought you were just echoing Papyrus. Sans noted you had a strange look to your eyes, and you could only make eye contact for a bit before looking off. An unfamiliar wry smile quirked at your lips, occasionally upturning them in a momentary grin as little shaky half-breaths came out in place of sounds. You eventually seemed confused as to what would even say and, scratching the back of your head, let out an awkward chuckle. "Fancy seeing you here again today."

"Yeah. Ur, yes, I-! That is to say, uh..."

Sans mentally kicked himself as he let out a huff, hoping that would reset his breathing and somehow his entire mental faculties.

"Well?" you roommate asked you, raising an eyebrow and nodding toward Sans. "Don't you have something you would like to say to him?"

You cleared your throat and nodded to them. Sans and Papyrus took a few steps back, allowing you to step down from the doorstep and onto the walkway. You threw your head back, squared your shoulders, walked up to Sans and...

Immediately lost your composure, the confident display dissolving as you let out a shaky breath, and you looked at him with an expression somewhere between pity and embarrassment. You raked a hand over your hair as your grin wavered again.

"Hi," you finally said.

"'Hi' yourself," Sans said, a bit annoyed with himself for how soft his voice came out. You two just sort of stared at one another for a few moments, looking away and fidgeting before looking back again. 

The whole exchange was completely awkward, but Sans couldn't help feeling like his soul had moved to his throat while in your presence. It practically hummed inside of him, and he could feel the prickle of magic as it flowed down his arms and up his legs. His whole body vibrated with excitement. The longer he stood there, basking in your quiet presence and the comforting look in your eyes, the more he wondered why he had ever walked away from you in the first place.

With every glimpse of your eyes, his soul pulsed, and the urge to blurt out his affection for you threatened to overwhelm him.

While you seemed perfectly content to observe Sans' strange behavior, your roommate and Papyrus were not.

Sans caught a glimpse of the nurse shaking their head and tutting to Papyrus. "I think they're going to stand there all day if we don't do something," they said softly. Papyrus nodded.

"Right."

The taller skeleton stepped over to his brother and grabbed his hands. Sans tried to pull his hands back, utterly confused, but Papyrus just raised the shorter skeleton's arms gently upward.

"Just trust me on this, alright, Sans?" he said. Sans shot you a confused look as your roommate stepped down from their place on the stoop and mimicked Papyrus' motions. You both looked to one another confused and back toward your friends and their arbitrary urge to play puppeteers with living beings.

Papyrus raised Sans' arms into the air and told him to hold them like that, then waved for you to come closer. You, with your arms out in T-pose where your roommate had directed them, slowly stepped forward with a look of pure incredulity on their face. Sans shrugged, having no idea what the heck anyone was doing with them. The next thing he knew, Papyrus had wrist in each hand as your roommate nudged you closer.

"Alright, Sans," the tall skeleton said, "this hand is going to go over here. Hey, could you step forward? There we go! Now, your hand-" he pulled your wrist forward and laid your arm loosely across Sans' shoulder, "-is going to go here...And voila!"

Papyrus stepped off with a victorious flourish as your roommate gave you one last tiny push. Sans suddenly found himself with his face mere inches from yours. You blinked at him in surprise, your eyes darting to the two arms you had draped limply over Sans' shoulders. Sans looked to his own bony arms draped similarly.

"Hmm," he saw Papyrus stroking his chin, "this doesn't seem quite right." He raised up from his inspection of Sans' stunned pose before walking around behind Sans. "Oh, Nurse~! Your assistance?"

There was a wicked cackle as your roommate stepped forward. Quickly, arms were adjusted and - wait, why was Sans' hands on your face? Why were _your_ hands on _HIS_?!

Sans let out a colorful swear but Papyrus refused to let him turn his head around.

"No! No more excuses, Sans," he said, his voice no longer playful but very serious, "you're going to stay right here, look in those big eyes, and say exactly what you told me you wanted to tell them. And you're not leaving until you do. And if you 'port away now," his brother's voice lowered, "you might not get a second chance for this. Now, before I lose what's left of my sanity from watching you two circle one another like a couple of hungry vultures - _TALK TO THEM_!!!"

Instantly, his brother released him, but Sans did as he was told and let his hands remain on your face. Stars, how soft your skin felt under his bones! He couldn't help but brush his thumb lightly over your cheek. Your turned away from your whispering roommate, your eyes briefly closing as you felt the bony appendage rake across your skin.

"Sans?" you asked. If he didn't know any better, he swore you sounded...hopeful?

He took a deep breath and puffed out his chest. 

Then he spoke your name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The face-holding scene was actually inspired by a Hobbit fic I read one time where Bilbo threatened Thorin during the Carrock scene, and another dwarf helps them get over their argument by awkwardly adjusting their arms until they hug one another. 
> 
> Sorry about the cliffhanger! I promise a nice, heartwarming confession scene is next!  
> In the meantime, comments and suggestions for future projects are welcome!


	4. CHAPTER FOUR:  "Finalmente!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When one tsundere confesses to another, what happens?  
> Read on to find out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the cliffhanger nearly killed you all, but HERE IT IS!!!  
> CONFESSION TIME WITH FS!SANS!
> 
> I hope this is lives up to what you all have been waiting for the past 2-3 weeks I've been making this series.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> (The title actually comes from a scene in "Grumpier Old Men" where this one Italian lady was fed up with a misunderstanding that was going on, right before who liked who came out in the open.)

CHAPTER FOUR: "Finalmente!"  
—————————

"...I'm sorry."

Sans began. The steel from his expression softened, and the harshness started to bleed away from his voice.

"What for?"

"Try not to interrupt me," Sans retorted. The skeleton tossed you an annoyed look, "this is important. Just...bear with me until the end of what I have to say, alright?"

You nodded.

He felt his soul throb with nervous anticipation.

"I am sorry I ran off like that. Stars, I'm sorry I challenged you to a date." He noticed the crestfallen look on your face and nearly panicked, his words coming out almost in one breath in order to catch himself. "I should have asked you properly and not made a game of it! Those were...it was a pathetic plan from the start, and you are undeserving of any romantic insinuations being made in jest."

He tried to will away the creeping warmth of magic tingling about on his cheekbones, but he could still feel the red creeping upon and staining the pure white bones. Your eyes didn't betray any hint of disgust or betrayal as he initially feared, but if your eyebrows moved any higher, they would fuse with your hairline.

"You...should have asked me properly?" 

Sans nodded at your parroted words. "I wronged you, and for that, I am deeply sorry. You are one of my dearest companions. One of my dearest friends. I would rather...You are not someone who...No, you deserve..."

He was losing the battle with his flushing magic, and he knew it. Still, he tried to will it down, but the tingling turned to a slow burn. His words became jumbled in his head as everything he had wanted to tell you that he put together on his walk over rushed to the forefront of his mind, causing him to trip over his words as he had no idea which was the right thing to say. His usual proud facade started to crumble and all he could do was shake, his words building up in his throat as he willed them back until his mind could work them into a decent formation.

"It's alright, Sans. Take your time." 

Your expression blossomed into a one of warmth, a softness tinging your gaze before speaking in the coaxing tone you reserved for talking down Papyrus on his bad days. 

He'd first heard that tone after he 'ported in and saw how you were calming his brother. He wanted to step in to help his brother, but after assessing the situation had decided to stay hidden to see your true motives. The nurse had trusted you but Sans had been unsure, wondering if you might have had some ulterior motive. He'd heard Papyrus break down into shaky sobs punctuated by bouts of enraged words as he went through the motions of everything that he still felt was wrong with him. Sans hated hearing how he'd hurt his brother, of knowing how he had failed him, and he felt his soul clench painfully with each of Papyrus' despondent words. But you'd soothed his brother, talked him down, talked him through it, psyched him up and got him off the floor. What proceeded was a very an energized session that Alphys would have been proud of to pump Papyrus up, of you yelling it was okay for him to shout out what was wrong to him at the couch pillow you'd drawn an ugly face on (some sort of symbolic representation of his brother's bad thoughts), and were cheering him on in the most coach-like way possible until Sans didn't know whether he was going to burst out laughing or crying over seeing his brother start to look relieved and confidant again. You'd thrown the cushion to the side and clapped both hands on Papyrus' shoulders, letting out a hearty laugh and telling him how proud you were. 

You then suggested to Papyrus that you both go set the cushion on fire, and Sans decided to make his presence known before he found out if your penchant for destruction would also have made Alphys proud.

When you left his house that night, your voice stayed with him, crooning in the back of his mind, his soul pulsing with every phantom word.

Looking back, that was the defining moment when he fell for you.

He felt the blush melt away a bit and his nervous trembling died down as your remembered words died in his mind. "You have proven yourself a most exemplary companion to both myself and my brother. You have helped him heal in ways I could not. You have met every challenge I have thrown at you as if they were true tests of valor, and not the clever ploys of a monster who...was too much of a coward to...be direct in his desire to..."

He shot a look at his brother and the nurse, who were standing huddled nearby, watching the scene with the greatest interest. Papyrus waved his hand, motioning for Sans to 'get on with it'.

Cringing and instantly regretting looking away from you, he quickly murmured loud enough for you to hear but not so his meddling matchmakers could: 

"...To lavish you in affection."

A long moment of silence passed.

Then...

"Are you telling me," you asked, "that all of your challenges were basically your way of 'pulling my pigtails'?"

Sans shot you an exasperated look. "...The Great and Malevolent Sans does not deny this."

Truthfully, he expected you to laugh in his face, but it didn't soften the momentary hurt of it. Sans thought you were good enough friends that you would at least refrain from that. Though, you did like to joke and roughhouse, so perhaps he should have expected this as a precursor to your playfully shoving him off, telling him you were flattered but didn't-

"Silly skeleton," you said, shaking your head. "I like you, too."

Sans blinked, your words taking a moment to sink in. Even then, he was still so in shock by what he had heard that he asked you to repeat yourself, making sure he heard you properly.

"I said 'I like you, too', Sans."

"Oh."

Sans was pretty sure he didn't have any fire elementals in his family, but with the way his soul and face felt, he was beginning to think otherwise.

"Sans?"

"Yes?" he asked.

"Can I kiss you again?"

Sans would have smirked but he was smiling too widely to do so. "The Great and Malevolent Sans would be honored if-!"

All he heard was a soft and breathy "finally" coming from you before he felt his head tilt slightly to meet your own as you closed the gap between the two of you. The moment his mind registered that yes, he had finally confessed, and yes, you returned his feelings, and _oh HELL YES_ , you initiated this kiss all on your own, his hands left your face and wrapped themselves around your torso. All of the tension he felt from fear of your rejection sloughed off like slushy snow melted in the sun. The fluttering in his soul and the congratulatory mental shriek of victory in his mind made him wonder why he hadn't just grabbed you and claimed your lips the very day he fell for you.

He squeezed you tighter as he heard his brother let out a whoop, and oh, now Papyrus and your roommate were cheering like they'd hit the jackpot.

Well, one monster there had, at least.

If this was his prize, then he should have challenged you to a date ages ago...

_Meanwhile..._

"Tell me you got that on camera," Papyrus whispered as he came down from a his happy little hop.

The nurse merely grinned and held up their phone, waving it tantalizingly. 

Papyrus beamed. "Still have the security cameras Undyne installed?"

The nurse's grin widened. "The audio picks up very well near the front door."

Papyrus, still grinning like a madman, turned back to look at his brother and friend, both still locked in a passionate embrace. He then leaned down to whisper:

"So...wanna call up Alphys and Undyne and start taking bets on when the wedding will be?"

Your roommate's eyes practically sparkled with mischief before they dramatically sneaked away like the villain from a children's television program, clutching their phone to their chest like it contained the most precious treasure imaginable. Which, in a way, it did.

After all, getting two of the biggest tsundere people they knew to finally get together was worth its weight in monster gold!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it! We've finally reached the confession! Everybody gets their happy ending. Everything is all right with the world.
> 
> I've really enjoyed making this. I hadn't intended to turn it into a series. I really just had the idea for the first story plus a couple of scenes that didn't fit into it, but thanks to the viewers that wanted to see more, I pretty much have a huge fleshed-out story in mind, enough of which I could probably make into a slightly darker, full-length work. Dunno if I will or not, but there was so much here that I could if I wanted to. We'll see. I'm not sure if I'm done with this series because it has grown on me, so whether I do a rewrite or just more ficlets...THAT DEPENDS on what you all want to see.
> 
> SO...what did you all think? Have you had a good dose of warm fuzzies in preparation for the holiday season? I hope I gave you a good laugh with all of this.
> 
> Anyway, um, I guess after I finish "Calendars" it's back to doing podfics for a while. I plan to do one for each part in the series and post them as additional "chapters". If you want to know what my voice sounds like, then go check some of the other ones I've done (I have several UT ones).
> 
> If you have any suggestions that you want to see me read or write, then let me know. If you want a more in-depth full-length version based on these ficlets, or just more ficlets, tell me. I'm open to most anything and everything.
> 
> Thank you all so much for tuning in and leaving all of the awesome comments. I really appreciate each and every one of you and hope that I can present you with more entertainment in the future. In the meantime, keep your comments coming and much love, y'all!

**Author's Note:**

> Remember: kudos and comments are an author's bread and butter!  
> Commenters may be randomly gifted a fic/podfic!


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